Avatar the Last Air Bender: the New Generation
by Bwoah Non Lo So
Summary: Set in the more futuristic Avatar universe 150 years after Sozin's comet, our heros travel across the world in search of the elusive and nearly forgotten about new Avatar, in a world where the benders and non benders have seperated.
1. Chapter 1: Prolouge

Avatar the Last Air Bender: The New Generation

Over a century ago, the four nations were reunited as one by the heroic Avatar Aang. Together with his comrades, peace and balance was restored to the world. Next, Avatar Korra helped the world solve its differences in reintegrating the element of air into the natural cycle. Long after even her, the race of benders is expanding; bursting old seams that years of unsteady conflict have worn away. Meanwhile, the old civilizations once well known have eroded, and have given away to two new empires, resting on an unchanging terrain.

Generations have passed since the integration of elements, and inter-elemental families are on the rise. But with them, come things that we haven't witnessed before, or things that we even understand in this new world. The western hemisphere is now known as the "New West'" and has become home to the non benders, who have transformed the region into a technologically advanced society. The east remains nearly unchanged since the decades of war, and continues to hold on tightly to their cultures. But as those gifted with strength of the elements, and those gifted with strength of mind drift apart to each territory, the tension between the two groups mounts.

Currently, the benders and the non-benders are at a standstill, as each waits for the other to strike; people are taking sides. People are afraid that if the public cannot solve their differences themselves, new sparks will fly to start a war; though this time, they will not cast by the fire benders. If the Avatar does not step up to his or her duties, the world may be facing the next war of a century; but how long can the two groups brace themselves before the Avatar comes forward to fight. Where is he? It's something that we'd all like to know…and something that we're determined to find out.

**Book one: earth**

**Chapter one: The place we knew**

**(POV:1)**

"Come see things from over 100 years ago! Ancient relics from the days Avatar Aang!" Shouted a man from across the street. There were an endless amount of these entrepreneurs in this city, but his voice rang above the normal hubbub of the town. I subconsciously glanced over a sea of earth coloured hair twisted and looped into complex hair ornaments, or sitting stoically in a bun atop dark heads, to the entrance of the Avatar museum in Ba-Sing-Se. Now, I _do_ find history interesting and all, but everyone in the entire kingdom knows the story of Avatar Aang, and I really didn't want to hear his defeat of Fire Lord Ozai for the eighteenth time running. But today the blinding noon sun was beating over my head, and I was appreciative for any grounds to step into the familiar coolness of shaded regions.

Just glancing around the streets, I could tell who were travelers native to the earth kingdom; mostly barefoot, tanned, and stout, like the earth itself they plowed down the streets. Then were the obligatory mass of fire benders; or people indigenous to the Fire Nation, identified not by their appearances-which were very similar to earth kingdom inhabitants-but by the fact that they strode confidently out in the sun, absorbing its warmth gratefully, fueling them with natural chi. All the air benders would be in the southern part of the city, where one of the new air bending temples had been erected. But still on occasion, a small bald child might whizz past on an air scooter, laughing maniacally while blowing up ladies skirts and tangling everyone's hair. Then, there was me. I suppose I represent the outstanding element; I am a water bender, and can manipulate the fluid element of the lakes, rivers, and seas. Though my tunic and pants are made of the thinnest silk, this intense sun alone seems to deplete me of all my chakra…

_Maybe that's where the fire benders were getting it from? _

I thought slightly resentfully; growing up in the North Pole made me accustomed to the cold. Being in the sun too long can change me from overly maternal to downright manic in a matter of overly exposed minutes. I decided to take keep a cool head and refresh myself indoors for a while.

"Best Avatar museum you'll ever visit!" the same man said again cheerily, as several people entered the building. "The Avatar museum; its free! Always has been, and always will be, c'mon, come and learn some history!" His amusing jingle won me over, and I directed my feet away from the iced tea stand and towards the highly proclaimed Avatar museum.

I stepped into the cool stone house in the upper circle, the Avatar museum was nothing but an old house the Avatar had once inhabited when he was lodging in the city. Certain locations had been roped off with golden braids, preserved the way they had been since the Avatar had left the city. So, the Avatar, Aang, His wife Katara, Toph Bei Fong, and Katara's elder brother,-whose name fails me-had stayed in this house and walked these very halls, searching for the strength to help all nations. Heroes had stood here, laughing jovially like normal human beings; still they were completely aware that they were obligated to one day rescue the world from the scorching rule of the fire nation.

On the wall next to me was a portrait of a very pretty girl with a long dark brown braid and eyes like the moon hued blue by the sea. Such were the eyes of most water benders; this must be a portrait of the late Katara. She was so brave, and I did host a prejudice in her favor for she, like myself, could heal damage so often inflicted by anger or bitterness. Next to her, a portrait of a handsome, yet goofy looking young man hung, the caption read: "Sokka: Captain of the southern water tribe-" Then went on to state his accomplishments and the years he was active as the chief.

_Sokka…that's right._

That was what Katara's older brother's name had been. He seems to be forgotten constantly in abridged retellings of the Avatars tale, but then again, history is told by the winners, and the winners are always the benders. Sokka had not been a bender, so people just assume that he was just a piece of luggage along for the ride. Though I have never met one…I want to meet someone who's isn't a bender that can make history. Someone that can do good. Normally that is the Avatars job, but, our current Avatar holds a low profile, and no one knows her location or how to contact her, even in this period of high tension.

_Actually…now that I think about it…people aren't even looking to the Avatar for help anymore. They seem to want to fight for themselves, like they've given up believing in her. Well I'd doubt a _third_ Avatar related miracle as well…Aang, then Korra…I can't blame the people any more than I can blame the Avatar for not being there; it all comes down to the fact that the war is so under the surface. Things right now seem peaceful…I hope in the future they truly become that way._

I moved along through the house, reading more dull billboards on facts about the Avatar and his companions. I entered the main hall, and the first thing that I noticed was that one wall had been blown out, letting in the lazy sun's golden tendrils over the scene of rubble. The second thing that caught my eye was on the street, in the form of a girl running. She adorned royal clothes covered in dirt from days of travel through wilderness, sprinting through the crowds, weaving in and out of irritated shoppers. Now, though I didn't understand it at the time, the hands of destiny pushed me on every step I took to follow the strange girl down the twisting alleyways of Ba-Sing-Se.

**(POV:2)**

I was being tracked, not _followed_, as that's for the unskilled; only very prestigious earth benders can track a person's every move, feeling their residue chi left behind in their dusty footsteps. I ran through streets of vendors selling varnished teapots and old rusted Tsungi horns, through cramped stalls selling piping hot street food, fresh out of the wok. My stomach rumbled ferociously as I caught a whiff of teriyaki armadillo-bear, but I forced myself to run faster. Faster, away from the earth benders who were hot on my heels.

I had been sneaking through the large bazaar in the Lower ring of Ba-Sing-Se, blending in with the rest of the citizens by impersonating a browsing shopper. But the Dai-Lee seemed to be everywhere I went, lurking like an infectious shadow. I needed to escape this pestilential city of secrets and traditions. A large congregation of finely robed ladies cued up in front of an earth bending powered elevator, going into the Upper ring.

"Pardon me!" I shouted as I pushed through the mass of cherry blossom emblazoned silk and plum-jasmine perfume, and into the head of the line. "I'm sorry sir!" I addressed the earth bender, who seemed to take no notice of the women now squabbling at my impolite behavior. "But I've just missed my parents! Please, I'm frightened of the Lower ring! Take me up!" Surprisingly, the man did what he was told. Another irritating thing about Ba-Sing-Se; appearance is everything. If you look the part, people will believe you, and I happen to look like the quintessence of class.

The earth platform moved up the lower wall, and into the Middle ring. As we approached the end of said ring, I begun to see the figures of the Dai-Li storming through crowds on the stairs to the proceeding level; the Upper ring.

The elevator stopped, and I rushed off, nearly bumping the other passengers back into the slums. My words of thanks were lost to the wind as I began to sprint into the district. I ran past gilded gold and jade green houses with spacious grounds full of exotic flora and fauna from neighboring nations. This Upper ring was home to only the most elite of government officials and politicians, though even they were not the top of the pecking order. Outclassing them were the cultural consultants to the Earth King the Dai-Lee, and the earth king himself. The politicians lived like royalty, which leaves me only to guess how the actual king of the earth lived himself.

I shot through the end of a long street of wide spread houses, into a cul de sac ending in a large circular clearing. Inside the square, was the grandest merchant trading space I had ever witnessed; bright, multicoloured caravans overflowing with priceless merchandise filled every inch of space. There were so many consumers in all shapes and forms; I could barely see one stall from the next. To my right, a girl in pale blue peasant robes strode past me; a commoner who must have snuck in to see the foreign treasures. All this meant to me was that, if she could sneak in to the upper ring without being spotted by the Dai-Li, then there was a chance that they wouldn't notice a lost princess in the sea of people either.

**(POV:3)**

I was dying. The world turned blurry in front of my eyes as I hunched lower on the back of my Fox-Antelope, Hymn. I kept swaying precariously starboard, trying to splay out the left limb I no longer possessed. My right arm, whole and intact, pressed a bandage crust and caked with brown blood to the ragged scoop; an indentation of flesh where my left arm had once connected to my shoulder blade. Daring to look at my injury once again to assess my chances of survival, I stole a glance at the wound. It was bleeding worse than ever, and through the tissues I could see the marred end of bone, protruding out of my body like the tip of a stick in deep mud. I leaned over Hymn's neck and vomited right in the middle of the street. Hymn whinnied, and started to trot faster down the elaborate stonework of some unknown village, or possibly town, even I didn't know right now.

Hymn seemed to slow as he entered a big circular square, and sniffed the ground once; I moaned in pain and keeled over his neck, landing on the cobbled street. Hymn whinnied again, and clamped his jaws on the mane of my lion's mask, dragging me along the ground. I barley registered regal looking people staring down at me, their hair-raising screams turned to buzzing in my ears, and I realized at that moment that I was just about ready to die.

I find that death is a lot scarier when you _aren't_ experiencing it. You don't fear those tantalizing moments that proceed excruciating pain, and your wounds, they really don't hurt anymore, and your vision clears up, and slowly, you might begin to see the face of a girl with bright blue eyes, then hear the voice of death slowly talking, but it's all muddled together, like you're underwater. "She's not gone!" It said, "I healed her best I could! B-but…she's not moving."

_I see…my soul must have been leaving my body, floating to the after world! Be free soul! Free! Maybe I'll be reborn as the avatar! Now _that's_ a thought!_

Then a new face came into view, a striking girl with a mane of curly auburn hair, her voice came a few seconds after her lips moved, "well, if she's dead, I'm going to search her, this necklace looks rare…"

"NO! MINE!" I roared, finding my voice, my strength, and apparently, my body. I sat bolt upright, entire body aching from the strain of muscle use. The tall girl yelled, the blue eyed girl screamed, and the glowing that had been suspended in the air above my shoulder splashed to the ground. A water bender, and…I held my breath, and glanced at my left shoulder. New skin grew over scar tissue and bone, the wound from mere hours back looked years old now.

_A healer._

This strange water bender had healed me. Experimentally, I raised my right arm, and the water on the ground shakily rose into the air, and formed into a sphere. I changed it into ice, but lost my energy flow when the chi escaped out where my arm should have been, and it crashed to the ground.

"There." I said, "Girly, make me an ice pack." I flopped back down on my back and gazed at the sky, still trying to decide if this was death or life.

"How did your Fox-Antelope know how to find me? How did he know I was a healer?" The water bender asked, squatting next to me and gathering up the ice from the stones.

"Animal instinct?" I replied roughly, "well Now that he's past any further usefulness, let's cook him up, I'm starved! And he's stolen anyways." I added, like it somehow justified my lack of gratitude towards the beast. What I failed to mention was the fact that it had been Hymn's owners who had robbed me of my limb. And an animal as rare as a fox antelope would probably be searched for. Searching for him, they'd find me instead. Then they might get both my arms, or even worse…I grimaced and rubbed my neck gingerly.

"I wouldn't slaughter that stead if I were you." A new voice said from behind the stall. A short blonde haired girl with a perky face swished into view, wearing the long robes of earth kingdom royalty. "He knows much about you. He can tell much about all of us." She said in a somber and mystical tone, hands placed squarely on each hip.

"Darn then! I wish he'd be more talkative! I could really use a psychic-magical-talking Fox-Antelope." I replied sarcastically, the pain was starting to ebb back from my brain.  
>"I know he can because I can sense benders, and unique abilities in people. It's a useful skill…though I am no bender myself." She looked pointedly at the water bender, then at my arm, and she nodded and hastily begun numbing it once more.<p>

"Is that why he was so obedient?"

The girl nodded. "He wishes to stay with you."

"Well," I said, getting to my knees, "that's all nice and chipper, so Hymn and I will be-wh-wh-WHOAA!" I yelled as I fell over, not being used to the drastic weight change of my missing arm. And once again I was lying on my back stupidly, like an upside-down lion-turtle.

"Sooo," I said awkwardly, "I think introductions are in order, but if being anonymous strikes your fancy you could possibly give me a bite to eat, some sake, and perhaps an amusing tale?"

"Perhaps we can skip the introduction, abbreviate the meal, and if you have anything to sell- like that lovely necklace of yours-we could strike up an accord?" the tall girl said genially.

"_Perhaps_ we can discuss the matter over lunch." I said.

"Excellent" The tall girl said, clasping her hands together, "Now, first there's the matter of putting down the deposit, or you could take the pawning route, then you'd have to sign the waver, to lease over your relic to the Sand Bender clan, the Hami, and allow-"

"HEY! YOU FOUR! HALT!" A man's baritone voice bellowed, and seven Dai-Li agents burst through the crowd.

"Us _four?" _We all asked in unison, and looked around at each other questioningly. The short girl who had told me about Hymn laughed nervously, and through clenched teeth whispered, "Guys, they think you're helping me escape. I'll explain later. But for now…_run._"

"Kinda problematic sweetheart…" I said, "I'm sort of…grounded."

"No problemo!" the tall girl said, stomping her foot. The earth rumbled underneath me, and suddenly I was shooting upwards on a huge chunk of what was once a cobbled square.

"Huh!" I grunted as I landed roughly on Hymns back, as if on cue, he started to gallop through the rapidly emptying square. "Whoa boy!" I shouted, as he jumped over the heads of screaming people running away from the Dai-Li's destructive earth bending. Huge stalagmites were shooting from the earth and ripping through layers of cobbling on the streets, blocking the left exit. Hymn reared, and turned instead to gallop towards the right exit, we were almost there, into the outskirts of town, when a behemoth wall of slate burst from the ground. Hymn had no time to stop. He jumped as the rock wall was getting higher and higher, rapidly growing before my eyes.

Miraculously, he landed on the top of the slate and was thrown over the wall by its momentum. We went past the outer wall of the upper ring, and into the vast agricultural setup of the outer wall. We were free! But for how much longer we'd be alive, I wasn't quite sure. The ground was approaching at a sickening pace, I had already died once today, and I didn't wish to do it again. I shut my streaming eyes and prayed to the gods, and suddenly…I was slowing down. Hymn came to a sudden halt, hooves hitting the green slope of a hill, and I gracefully fell backwards off Hymn, and onto my ass.

"I'm…I'm alive? I must be the luckiest person alive! Get it? _Alive_?" I said in disbelief, touching my face with my right hand. I heard laughter behind me, and I glanced over my left shoulder. Suddenly, the reality of my incapacitation struck me like lightning. Maybe it was the shock, maybe the trauma, regardless of the cause, I swooned right on the spot, and blacked out.

**(POV:4)**

We'll skip the pleasantries, and cut right to the chase. No, this time it's not an expression, we're literally being chased. And by 'we', I mean, myself; Zo, this rich lady who the Dai-Li are chasing, and a little water bender healer girl. The one armed girl bounded away on her stead, half of the Dai-Li following her to blockade the exits of the square. We ran to the northern exit, plowing through terrified people on our way, I do have to admit I am guilty of rather full pockets by the time we reached the northern doorway, which had been sealed by a wall of black stone. I grinned, and stomped the ground hard once with my right foot, and pushed both my fists out, a huge door way appeared in the rock, revealing the actual door behind. I kicked it open with satisfaction and all three of us dashed through. After the water girl scampered through it, I jerked my hands together fast, and the hole I created slammed shut like window shutters.

Now I could hear the roaring of water, we turned around to face a giant gated off sewage way, the main water source that led directly out of the city. I glanced at the water bender, and she nodded, knowing exactly what to do. I raised my arms over my head and pulled downwards, the thick wrought iron bars sealing off the gaping mouth of the water fall were swallowed into the earth with an ear piercing shriek. From behind us, I could hear more Dai-Li storming into the square, looking for us. It was only a matter of time, before we would be surrounded. I grabbed the two girl's hands and we jumped into the rush of oncoming water.

FWWOOOSHHH!

My lungs felt compressed as I unwillingly inhaled water, I spluttered as my head broke the surface, but was quickly submerged again. The long tunnel of rapidly cirrulating water shot us downwards in a 45degree angle. I got one last breath of air in before the water fall started. And we plummeted.

We were screaming for dear life, but the water bender, though panicked, raised her hands up gracefully, and in a circular motion formed a figure eight in the air near her solar plexus. The water scooped up around us, encasing our bodies in a protective sphere, so that the force of the crash as we hit the bottom felt like the equivalent of jumping off a 6 foot wall (instead of a 600ft one.) I gasped and spluttered as I hoisted myself out of the river, dragging the short girl with me, her royal clothes weighing her deep into the river bed.

Then, from above, I heard new screams, the injured girl was falling with her fox-Antelope, they were going to be crushed into Lechee butter if I didn't do something. Reluctantly I spread my arms out like a bird, and then whipped them close to my abdomen, circling them together. A great sphere of wind erupted around the girl and her stead, slowing their descent. The beast touched the ground softly, and its rider dismounted, and babbled about being the luckiest person alive. I laughed out loud; savoring the hype of the near fatal escape, but the girl heard me and glanced around. I in turn looked over my shoulder to catch sight of the water bender; she too looked behind her, at the sopping wet girl in the fancy robes. The one who had gotten us roped into her little problem with the Dai-Li agents. Brilliant.

We still had some ways to travel before we would reach the outer wall of Ba-Sing-Se, so silently we all headed north, the afternoon sun drying out our clothes.


	2. Chapter 2: Into the Hills

**Avatar the Last Air Bender: The New Generation**

**Chapter 2: Into the hills**

**POV: 3**

I awoke at sunset draped over Hymn's back, we appeared to be some distance from the great city of Ba-Sing-Se, but far off its looming walls were still visible. I sat up, and stretched my right arm. I sighed and glanced again at the stump where my other should have been. I was accepting the fact that I was now crippled.

_But just because I 'm now lame doesn't me that I was going to become that way! I still have my sense of humor, so I'm gonna figure things out…somehow._

I got to my feet, and noticed some meters away, a group of three female travelers, all crouching by a tepee of kindling. They were arguing in hushed tones, the small girl between the other two, trying to break apart the dispute. As I approached, I heard the tallest one say,

"Well I'm sorry that I didn't bring my spark rocks _Pearl_! But you happen to be a _water bender_, so I suggest you shut your _watering hole_ before I plug it up _for_ you!"

Pearl opened her mouth to retaliate, but then she noticed me, skulking in the background.

"Oh!" she shouted in surprise, "It's you! You're awake now! How do you feel? Does your…um…_injury_ still hurt?"

"A bit." I replied, sitting down in the grass. I crossed my legs, and looked around at the three girls staring in my vicinity, all purposely avoiding my gaze, but shooting glances at my missing limb. I watched as the tall girl furiously tried to light the kindling with two quarts fragments. "I'd offer you a hand," I said lightheartedly, "But I think I'll be needing this one for the time being." Pearl and the other girl smiled and laughed, but the tallest girl seemed to be tuning us out.

"Ugh!" she spat, flopping down in the grass. "I give up! No fire for tonight! Sorry guys, we'll have to eat berries or something until we can get new ones somewhere."

"No we don't." I said louder than I had meant to. The tall girl shot me a withering look. In response I held up my right arm, palm pointing directly at the fire, and shot golden orange flames into the bare wood. All the girls gasped in astonishment, the tallest girl actually jumped to her feet, a look of mingled shock and alarm on her face.

"You're…you're a _fire bender_?" She forced out, looking from me to the crackling flames, dancing around the kindling, licking each person with warmth against the cool night.

"Well I _was_…" I said, looking down at my shoes, "but now…without this," I nodded at my useless shoulder, "I don't think I can fire bend well anymore…"

"But! But! Kollora! You said that she was a _water bender_!"

"I am." I replied simply, picking the caked dirt of my shoes. "I'm me; Leona. Just…I'm a water bender, _and_ a fire bender. But now…I don't think I'll be able to do either…"

"A _double_ bender…" the tall girl said, not in a tone of disbelief, but in one of speculation, like she had suspected and known as much before.

"From your tone it sounds not unheard of to you. Perhaps you too have something you'd like to share?" I said.

"No." She said quickly, but was stopped when she was sent a knowing look from Kollora, and surprisingly, from Pearl as well. She sighed, and said heavily, "Yes. I do." She took a deep breath and said, "I'm too tired to explain… so just look."

She raised her arm and a column of rock jutted from the earth, then slashing the same arm diagonally, a thin sheet of air sliced it cleanly down the middle.

"I see we posses similar gifts." I said, "You're both an earth bender, and an air bender. Polar opposites; a deadly combination...or so I've been told. You should be careful with those kinda powers, it's how I lost my arm."

"In a double bending accident?" The girl asked anxiously.

"Nahh. I lost it when some villagers found out what I could do. They thought I was too dangerous. I barely escaped with my life, but they got a crucial part of me. Bastards."

"About that." Pearl said, speaking for the first time that night. "I had an idea…"

The metal arm lay on a rock in front of us, light from the fire dancing off its rough steel plates. It was beautiful; intricately carved, but hooked, spiked, and lethal. Kollora had found a reserve of ore near the camp site, and I, using my fire bending, had crafted it into a new limb. Now, the problematic part remained in the fusing it to my body.

"Are you ready?" Pearl asked, fear in her voice, but her face remained determined and set.

"Are you _really_ sure that this is going to work?" The tall girl, who had let slip that her name was Zo, asked.

"Thank you for the kind words of comfort." I said sarcastically, but mentally braced myself for the forthcoming pain.

"On five then." Pearl said holding the arm up to my shoulder, the place where it was going to be attached. "Five…"

"Make sure you put it on the correct way," I warned, "I don't want two right hands."

"Four."

"I believe the expression is two _left feet_." Zo remarked. Kollora was using part of her long cloth skirt to shield her squeamish eyes.

"Three."

"I really don't know about this!" I said, starting to panic.

"Two."

"Oh sweet Avatar." I moaned, and set the end of the arm alight. Molten ore dribbled slowly down the metal work.

"One."

Agony. That's all I can remember, for I must have passed out again, but when I regained consciousness again, I saw the face of Pearl alight with a strange sapphire glow. She was healing my scorched flesh, soothing it with remedial waters. I opened my mouth to thank her, but she pressed a cool finger to my lips.

"Just a couple more seconds, then I'll be done…okay! There you go, one metal arm, custom made."

"Thanks…?" I got up, trying to move the artificial appendage, but to no avail, the metal would not budge. Suddenly a thought crossed my mind; a crazy, nearly impossible idea, but those were always the sort that produced the best result. I concentrated my yang energy, what I used to draw my fire bending from, out of my shoulder. Then, I condensed it, making it weaker, and turning the joints of the metal arm to a bendable consistency. I focused, and my arm moved forward, then back. I could bend the molten metal! I wiggled my fingers one by one; I balled them into a fist, and punched the air.

Predictably, my arm fell off. I had used too much firepower, and had melted the metal too high of a temperature, so that the fixture could not support the weight of the appendage; this was going to take practice. In fact, I was going to have to relearn fire bending altogether. Resentfully I picked my new arm off the ground, and with my right hand, remoltenized the metal on the top. My shoulder still had its original cast of metal sealed to my skin, so now reattaching my arm was simply an unpleasantly searing affair.

I tried again and again, but the sun had set, and my fire bending weakened at night, as my water bending was a disciple of the moon.

"Need anything?" A voice behind me asked, and I turned around to see Zo, peeking her head out from her sand bender style tent.

"Yeah" I said, "a training montage."

She laughed, but got to her feet and walked up the hill behind our campsite, when she was about halfway up, she realized I wasn't behind her, and gestured for me to follow. "C'mon! I wanna show you something cool! And it's just over this hill!" I followed, staggering over the new imbalance my metallic arm created. When I reached the top of the hill, Zo was waiting for me, back turned.

"Zo?" I called to her, but she didn't move. Cautiously I grasped her shoulder, and slowly she turned her head to face me, an expression of utter horror frozen upon her sharp features. She looked back at her red gloved hands, which in this light looked…like blood. No…it _was_ blood, and it was flowing fast. A thick brownish stain plastered the ground around where Zo sat, shaking. Without thinking, I ran down the hill screaming Pearl's name. She rushed from her tent, braid undone and eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" She called frantically, "did something happen with your—"

"No I'm all right! But you have to come quick, its Zo! I-I, blood. She's bleeding…a lot."

Pearl said naught another word, but grabbed her canteen and ran up to the hill that I indicated. Her speed outclassed mine, even with a 10 pound sack of water, and I finally caught up to her, gasping heavily, kneeling next to Zo on the top of the hill.

"I-I can't find where she got cut!" Pearl gasped, wiping her tear streaked face, "At this rate…she's going to bleed out!"

I stared, frozen uselessly on the hilltop, at my newest friend dying right before my eyes. Then, a new figure came bowling over onto the threshold, Kollora had arrived, chest heaving, and cheeks scarlet.

"Pearl!" she shouted, "She's a hemophiliac! The place where she got cut will be minuscule! so look to where the blood is most concentrated!"

"Her hand!" I shouted, pointing to a tiny gash on Zo's palm. I looked down to see hundreds of sharp fossilized canines and incisors, embedded in the dirt.

_This is what she probably wanted to show me…a fossil bed, earth benders really do love their dirt and rocks…_

Pearl, as quick as a wave, whipped out her canteen, and drew the purified water from its depths. She bended it with a clockwise twist of her wrist, so that the water encased Zo's injured hand. Pearl shut her eyes, perspiration beading on her dark temple. Suddenly, the water began to glow with a bright cerulean light; as her healing powers took effect. I flopped down on my back, remembering to breathe after those tantalizing moments of shock, Kollora sat down next to me, wrapping her sleeved arms around her knees. A howling wind blew from the north, and Kollora and I shifted closer for warmth.

We sat in silence for some time, while Pearl continued to heal Zo. For such an insignificant wound, the blood loss was nearly fatal. But hemophilia…suddenly my affliction looked absolutely inconsequential.

_No wonder she had been so frightened of my injury; she must have assumed double bending was the perpetrator. _

We all helped Pearl carry Zo into her tent, which she had set up during my operation, and laid her on top of her sleeping bag.

"Why don't we all take watches tonight?" I said, "To make sure she heals up alright, and to make sure…we weren't followed by any party."

"Good idea." Pearl said, and without volunteering, immediately positioned herself outside Zo's tent, watching the distant plains that wrapped around the ring of Ba-Sing-Se. I watched as Kollora said goodnight, glanced nervously over her shoulder back at the city, and headed off to bed. I assured Pearl that I would too turn in for the night, and confided her that I would get a good night's sleep, and my life free of stress and over excursion for the next fortnight.

After an hour of grooming Hymn in my tent, I pocked my head outside to see if the coast was clear. Pearl had become less wary, as no one had ambushed us of yet, and had settled into a more relaxing position; cheek lazily resting on her water pouch.

I left my tent noiselessly, though it was already on the outskirts of our makeshift camp. Hymn stuck his roan head out of the back flap, looking up at me reproachfully, like he thought I was trying to abandon him.

"No Hymn, you can't come with me!" I whispered into his fox-like ear. He whinnied and nudged his head into my chest, pushing my heels into the mud. "No Hymn! I'll be back soon." I pushed him off and closed the tent, and stalked away down the hill, following the sound of the distant river that flowed away from the city.


	3. Chapter 3: Plotting in the Night

**Chapter 3: Plotting in the night**

**POV:3**

I had waded my way deep into the river, so that the water came up to my mid chest. Experimentally, I raised my right arm, and a water tendril flowed up to greet it. I let it fall with said arm, and testily raised my left arm. To my surprise, another tendril-though not quite as versatile- rose from the surface. It moved when my metal appendage did, mirroring its actions, as if the arm were made of flesh like any other. In exhilaration I raised both arms and a huge column of water jutted from the river, slashing both arms in an X, morphed the pillar to black tinged ice. Using my right arm, I melted it with a fire whip; its blazing talons grasping the ice; disintegrating it.

I splashed my way to shore, and dried off my clothes by removing all water from the material, then let it fall uselessly to the earth. I furrowed my brow, and shot white hot fireballs from my right fist, purposefully making sure that they would collide with each other. On their impact, they exploded, and shot at least 20 smaller balls of fire in random directions. I jumped off from the ground, twisted in mid air, and caught one with my shin, smacking it into next week. Another approached and I somersaulted, landing on the ground, and then effortlessly doing a cartwheel to avoid it. It set the grass next to me ablaze, and twisting my hands in a circle, I caused the small sparks to augment into a roaring fire. In the heat of the flames I raised my left arm, and tried to bend water from the stream to set it out. But doing three different things at once bested me, and my arms molten joints slid from its metal base. Dancing around me on all sides was a cage of fire, slowly creeping closer to my body, waiting to consume the last living thing around it; its creator. Fire is dangerous and beautiful, and element that has deserved it place being feared and awed by all. I was such a fool to think that at a time of such instability, I could balance my chi's. And now, I would pay the price, just as many other great fire bending masters have done in the past.

Suddenly, I heard a frenzied whinny and was hoisted into the air by the mane of my lion's mask. It was Hymn!

_I love this crazy beast!_

He bounded away from the fire, before I flipped over his neck, now mounted on his back. I closed my eyes, and willed my chi to calm; the fire slowed from a fierce tango to a slow waltz, but still as high as ever. Raising my right arm, a tidal wave of water sloshed out from the dark river, swallowing the fire. The light died with a dreadful serpentine hiss, and the blaze was quenched. Acrid black smoke was blown away by a sudden gust of wind, and all was still again in the now charred river valley.

Hymn started to trot, following the river up to the mountain slope.

"You gonna take me somewhere?" I asked sleepily, leaning onto his long neck. (I trusted him enough now to keep me safe, as he seemed to do a better job of it than I did myself.) He snorted in response, as if to say 'yes' and started to canter. We sped into a gallop, both stead and rider perfectly in sync. We seemed to cross miles in mere minutes, until we were at the top of the small mountain, overlooking the plains the northern earth kingdom. I spotted a tiny light far below us, it must be our campsite. Guiltily I thought about my promise to Pearl, but it was forgotten again when Hymn came to a sudden halt, knocking some small pebbles over the side of the cliff.

"What's that!" A rough man's voice said suddenly from below. "Who's there?" Neither Hymn or I made a sound, after a while the sounds of eating resumed.

"Must have been a badger-mole Jinku." Another voice said, this time female. "They're more than common in these here parts."

"s'pose yer right Miira…" Jinku said, and he refocused on his eating.

I wondered who these travelers were, I dismounted and was going to make my presence known, but found Hymn in my way, blocking my path. His eyes seemed to warn me not to speak, but listen, and for once, I did what I was told. I army crawled until my eyes were peeping down the cliff wall, to a scene 20 feet or so below.

It was a group of about 10 or 15 assorted men and women, all in their late 40's and 50's. The man I assumed to be named Jinku looked like a old, powerful Gorillagator; he had jet black hair streaked with gray, and a foot long beard as silver as the moon. His arms were sun beaten and muscular, with bulging muscles like bags of ripe fruit. Across each of them, several wicked looking scars rested, marred into his flesh.

The woman I assumed was Miira was sitting next to him, I guessed that she must be his daughter, not only because she was the youngest person there; barely over 30,but because her and Jinku shared the same stature, and air of high authority over the rest of the circle. She had a short, cropped ponytail and a fierce look in her blazing eye. Her other, was covered in a navy blue eye patch with the Northern water tribes insignia stitched to it with tan yarn. All her limbs were muscular; she was lean, but built powerfully.

Miira finished her Jook and tossed down her ladle, wiping her mouth with the ungloved part of her hand. She stood up, stretched and yelled so that she could be heard by all.

"LADIES! DINNER'S OVER! IT'S TIME FOR OUR FINAL MEETING BEFORE BED!"

Out from the shadows, many more people appeared; from what I could see they had made lodging in indentations in the cliff face, small caves in which they slept. What surprised me the most was not the large number of diverse looking people, all well on into adult hood, but the fact that Miira raised her arms over a tin trough of water, and thrashed them out, sending a long whip of water to extinguish all fires in the campsite except for one; the largest, and centermost fire that crackled at her feet. Everyone gathered around the fire, Jinku getting up to stand next to his daughter.

"I see we have some new recruits." Mirra commented, waving a hand at some of the younger looking men and women. They kowtowed out of respect, and then gave her the earth nation style bow, Miira smiled coldly, and continued.

"Since we do have some newbies, I suggest we go over the basics." Miira shot at Jinku, who nodded.

"I'll take it from here." He replied, and placed a hand on Miira's shoulder as she sat down crosslegged, at the head of the fire on a raised rock, so that she could see and be seen by all.

"Over 100 years have passed since the great war with the Fire Nation," Jinku said, pacing around the circle of people, "And over 30 have passed since the anti-airbending revolution. But now, we are in the midst of a new crisis. The numbers of benders have grown drastically in the past 100 years, and all nations are at peace. This should seem good to all of you, and you'd be damned if you didn't think peace was something to celebrate…but now, its peace that drives this conflict!" whispers and murmurs flew around the circle at these words. "Yes." Jinku continued, and all fell silent again, "it is true. All benders from all nations are becoming peaceful with one another, mating and passing on their bending genes to the next generation. Earth and Air being dominant, fire and water being recessive. Though the science of it matters little, all this means is that the probability of a child that can manipulate the elements increases with interracial births. But with all of these new benders getting along in the seemingly _peaceful_ world…a rift is forming steadily. A gaping hole between the non benders, and the benders, who now are almost over half of the world's population. They fear us. And they seek to control us. The non bending humans who have always attempted to harness our abilities!" Shouts of outrage from around the circle, Miira smiled coldly again, fire dancing on her face, and in her eye.

"But of course, each time there has been a conflict, an _Avatar_ has always been there to help it, and they should. It's his or her duty to protect the nations. Avatar Aang, ended the Fire Nation conquest, Avatar Korra prevented a war against the arising air nomads…but now, brothers and sisters…where _is_ the Avatar? Not helping his bender kin…no, he is off, missing, enjoying his peaceful leisure life while the pot of tension boils underneath the lid of injustice. So, since there is no Avatar, we, the people have to fight our own war. Take matters into our own hands, and conquer the non benders, and reform them into our society! BROTHERS! SISTERS! WHAT DO YOU SAY?" Jinku roared, thrusting his hammer like arm into the air.

"AYYE!" they all roared in unison, some standing up, others shot fire or threw rocks into the air.

When Miira stood up however, all demonstrations of devotion ceased.

"We have water." She said, and caused a huge jet of it to spray over the crowd from the trough. "We have earth." Jinku stood up and stomped the ground; a huge crack appeared where his foot made contact with the rock. "We have fire." Several fire balls shot into the air from the crowd. "And we _now_ have _air_." One of the men she had previously referred to as a new recruit, stood up and jumped 30 feet into the air, landing quietly on his toes.

"Men, women, brothers, sisters…together…WE _ARE_ THE AVATAR! Now to bed with all of you! We head to Ku Won Se at dawn!"

The crowd roared their approval, but quickly headed off to bed in pairs of twos and threes by age and gender. The campsite was cleared in minutes, which left only Miira and Jinku, Miira turned to Jinku and said,

"Father, we're going to need to make sure the hostages are locked up for the night. Are any of them Benders?"

"Yeah." Jinku replied roughly, "The son; the little boy. He's a water bender, hails from the foggy swamp we think, but we're not sure. His parents won't tell us anything; but neither of them are benders."

"Tsk. Non bending parents trying to protect their gifted child. Don't they know that their precious child will be much safer with us; in the new regime? They're lucky we found him, otherwise, who knows what might happen to him in the future. I'll train him personally, along with Yu Na. They should be around the same age."

Jinku grunted; Miira must have been accustomed to this vague response for she left for her quarters. But before she left, she extinguished the final fire with a swish of her hand; smoke rising from where the water collided with the hot coals. In the dim light cast by the moon, I saw Jinku climb up the cliff on the opposite side; I followed him to the mouth of a chasm. Thick iron bars spread across the gaping hole in the earth, trapping three unkempt people. Jinku and the oldest man were arguing,

"I told ya." Jinku said calmly, "If you hand over your son to our cause, you can go free!"

"Never!" The man yelled as his wife sobbed into her terrified son's hair.

"Fine." Jinku sneered, throwing a blanket disguised as a slab of prairie over the bared hole. "Have it your way. Give it a few months. You'll come around." He spat on the ground and walked away, back to the campsite. I waited several minutes while I listened to the sounds of his heavy footsteps, retreating into the darkness of the night.

It was sick. Little children, benders, being used as weapons to fight, and to start wars. If anyone knew the realities of using children for battle, it would be me. My mother, captured on a water bending pirate ship; she was a daughter of the fire nation, and its respective bender. I was illegitimately and nonconsensualy born to the captain of the fleet and to said woman. Where she is now, I fear I know not, but her having to see what a monster I had become was drive enough for me to stay away from thoughts of her. Instead, I focused on the only life I knew. One of battle in the raging sea, and sinking ships with lashes of fire. I would not let this small boy be used the same.

The family stared up at me as I removed the blanket, the moon shining down upon my dark features; I must have looked like some hero of the night, coming to rescue them.

"Stand back. I'm here to rescue you. Don't talk, don't ask questions." I said, and grasped the metal rigging with my right hand. Under my fingers I let my Yang chi release, and flow into the metal, making it flexible. I pried open a hole big enough for one person to fit through at a time, and then cooled it with excess moisture from the air surrounding us. "Come on!" I whispered, holding out my hand to the mother, who was closest to me.

"No." she said, backing away, "take Bi Hai instead. Your mount can only hold another." I glanced over my shoulder to see Hymn, waiting for me and the prisoners to depart.

"Mama! No!" The little boy said, grabbing the hem of his mother's ragged tunic.

"I'm sorry Bi Hai. But you must." She said, tears falling thick and fast from her blue eyes.

"Your mother is right my son." His father said, kneeling on one knee. "It's you they desire, not us. We'll be fine. But you, you have to escape…" Bi Hai nodded, wiping his eyes. "One more thing," his father said, reaching into his boot and drawing a long knife; its handle carved out of bone.

"Grandfathers whale bone dagger? But Father, you mustn't!"

"Hush Bi Hai. You are a man now, and you need a weapon. Take it brave warrior; it's yours now." He hugged his son tightly, a tear beading from his tightly shut eyelid. His mother too embraced him silently.

"Wo ai ni, Bi Hai. I love you." She said, and released him. I grabbed him by his collar and hoisted him in front of me, so that he was seated right at the base of Hymn's neck.

"Listen!" His mother said, addressing me, "This boy has an aunt in the town not too far from here, it's called Ku Won Se. About half a day's journey south west. Please, please, take him to her, her name it Shin Wu Fey, and she owns a tavern called 'The Locustbee inn.' There he can disguise himself as her son. She has no connection to any water tribe…they'll never think to look…"

"I will, promise." I said, bowing to her the way the water benders do. She and her husband bowed back. "But now, aren't you going to escape? The bars are open, you are free."

"I'm afraid not," she said sadly. "I am expecting another," she gestured to her belly, which I suddenly noticed was swollen like a melon. "And my husband has a broken leg. We cannot travel without them finding us. Please, seal the bars once again."

Reluctantly I closed the bars back over the couple, and replaced the fake covering, but I left a crack open for ventilation. I saw the mothers pale blue eyes staring at me as I mounted; its haunting likeness to Pearl's when she water bended had me entranced as I rode away.

"Thank you…_Avatar_!" she called as I rode into the dark plains with her son, misfortune shoved upon him for being fortunately gifted. It truly was a changing world we lived in; I just hoped in the future, this boy would still be part of it.


	4. Chapter 4: The Locustbee Inn

Chapter four: The Locustbee inn.

(POV:3)

"Ick! Is _this_ the place that lady told you to go?" Zo said reproachfully, staring up at the tacky mustard yellow and magenta building. A sign hung in front of the saloon doors that read 'L cust B In an Break fe st.'

"This place looks so…cheap," Kollora said.

"Well, yeah." I said, "That's why it's called the Locustbee inn. Get it? '_Low cost be in'_?"

The gang cracked smiles appreciatively, but from behind us, we heard a roar of laughter and,

"Hahahahaha! Good one!"

I turned around discreetly, pretending to streach my back, in case it was not me that his comment had been directed to, but rather, to a friend. But upon my glance up and down the street, there was nobody in our proximity. Rather perplexed, but not giving the matter a second though I turned around and started up the Inn's steps.

"Common, wake up Bi Hai." Pearl said, coxing the adolescent off of her back, where she had been carrying him as he slept through the journey to and around the town. As it turns out, the 'half a day' journey took us about an hour, for we all had mounts. Zo, a giant beetle which I had no idea had been following us; named Kuo. She had let Pearl and Kollora ride him while she used her air bending glider. I had offered to take Bi Hai on Hymn, but Pearl insisted that he stay with her, her natural and abundant maternal instincts materializing as soon as she set eyes upon the disheveled child.

The saloon doors swung open, and a most peculiar sight met our eyes. A large tavern, all decorated with furnishings in gaudy shades of yellow, green and pink, plastered the wooden walls. A small stage held up two women in skimpy bee striped lingerie, dancing to a melody played on a Tsungi horn. The tables were crammed with men of all ages, being served by young women; all dressed up in skimpy Locustbee costumes. Pearl instinctively covered Bi Hai's eyes as a young waitress skipped over.

"Hello there masters! My name is Ta Mi! I'll be your hostess today! What can I get for you…ladies?" She glanced down at our chests, and then, at the young child we had brought to such a place.

"It's not what it looks like!" I guaranteed her, but she didn't look entirely assured.

"Well…um, what can I get you folks?" she said confusedly.

"Actually, we kinda need to see the lady who runs this place." I said, "We have her _nephew_ here, and he needs to see her right-"

"Oh! You need a council with the QueenBee!"

Zo and I shot each other a look. "Yeah. That. Thank-"

But Ta Mi had already grabbed my hand and had skipped buoyantly into the gaggle of partygoers. She led us around the parlor, in which many things-that made me grateful that Pearl was still obscuring Bi Hai's vision-were occurring. She drew back a gold and black beaded curtain, and we entered a room thick with incense smoke. Seated at the back of the room in a chair shaped out of golden honeycomb, was the most bizarre looking middle-aged lady I had ever witnessed.

Her golden hair was striped with black, and spun atop her head in such a way that it actually resembled a Locustbee hive. She was fairly chubby, but still donned one of the skimpy uniforms the girls half her age wore. Except her costume was much grander, with a matching crown, cape, and scepter. Glittery golden wings stuck from her back, and were sandwiched between the throne and her puppy fat. Her face was very well made up, with a matching shade of rouge smeared upon her lips and high cheekbones. Her thin slanting eyes were caked with gold eye shadow, and in lieu of foundation (which was the only ounce of makeup she actually needed) she wore copious amounts of silver glitter; so that it looked like a fairy threw up all over her face.

The rest of my companions, still dumbstruck by her appearance, remained motionless, gawking openly. I however, stepped forward, and pulled Bi Hai along with me.

"Hi there!" I said, faking a smile, and trying to look anywhere but at the 'Queenbee.'

"Well helloo there sugar!" she said, in a girlish, syrupy voice, "You know, you don't have to say anymore, you four are _hired_!"

"Um…hired for what?" Zo said, finally regaining the ability of speech.

"Hired to be a hostess here of course! You ladies are Hotter than the Fire Nation!"

"Wait! we're not here to work!" Pearl shouted, blushing ferociously and covering herself with her arms

"Then why pray tell are you here?" She asked, pouting and crossing her stout legs.

"Are you Shin Wu Fey?" I asked, Queenbee turned bright red.

"No I most certainly am not! I am _Queenbee_!"

I gave her a skeptical look, raising an eyebrow and crossing my arms.

"Oh fine!" She said, "So what if I am Shin Wu Fey? I gave up that name years ago! When I left a simple life to pursue my dream of owning an entertainment club!"

"Well, good. So you are Shin Wu Fey, but under a different alias. Look, this little boy here, is your nephew."

"What! Kannko had a son!"

"obviously." I muttered, pushing the kid towards her.

She sighed heavily, and rose from her throne, kneeling in front of Bi Hai; she looked him straight in the face.

"He does have her eyes…but what happened to Kannko? What happened to my sister? She would never abandon her child…"

"She was captured. By a radical group of benders. But she is safe; I don't think they will or have harmed her as of yet. But…she told me to take her son to you; she said that you'd um…adopt him?" I smiled awkwardly, imposing such a task upon a woman who seemed to be…too wrapped up in her hive to foster _Minkcats_, much less a child.

"Why of course I'll take him in! family first! Though if my darling sister knew that I was not running the local tea parlor…she might have sent you to deliver him to our other sister in the North Pole." She guffawed loudly, "well Kannko was always a tough one! She'll get out of that prison just fine, I'll bet my hive on it! And what she doesn't know about me…can't hurt her!" She tittered again, bosom heaving and down rapidly.

We settled at the inn, we each got separate rooms, however, as it transpired the inn served meals in the singular; specifically, breakfast. Queenbee's explanation was that, the 'cah-stimours' only come for the night, and eat before running out. Only Zo and I seemed to truly understand what this place was; Pearl, Kollora, and Bi Hai stayed woefully ignorant…they were the lucky ones.

As money would be provided in lieu of nourishment, Kollora offered to go shopping for the next weeks rations. While she was gone, Zo and Pearl went to explore town. I decided to follow them, after I had something to drink.

The bar was empty at 4 in the afternoon; hot summer sun blazing overhead, the coolness of a rooftop was the best getaway. So I was not surprised when a young traveler came into the inn, and seated himself a few seats down from me.

"What'll it be sonny?" The bored sounding barmaid asked him. A somewhat familiar voice replied,

"I don't know. Surprise me, beautiful." She giggled and hurried off to fix him a drink. I stared intently forward, trying to find a reflective surface on which I could spot the strangers identity. Finally after none appeared, I slowly shifted my gaze back over my shoulder, hoping to recognize the owners face.

"Hi there." The strange boy was now in the seat directly next to mine; a wicked smirk across his lips. He had shaggy dark brown hair, and orangey gold eyes; like koi fish. He was desperately handsome, but had a very cocky aura, something that irked me. Across his face there were two scars, one down his cheek, and another, like a fang. He wore basic black traveling attire, and carried a cutlass, a dagger, a canteen, a pack, and nothing else. A traveler, though young to be traveling alone. I said nothing back to him, and continued to sip my Iced Aloe enthusiastically.

"So," he continued, "haven't seen you 'round before. You're jus' passin' through?"

I grunted, and crunched an ice cube between my molars, he chuckled.

"I see, I see. Not the talkative one are we?"

I shrugged. I now had no more juice, and was crunching the ice cubes one by one back into water.

"I like your armor, that's a wicked gauntlet." He said, and pointed to my left arm from across the countertop.

"Oh, _this_?" I said, finally finishing the last of my ice.

"Hey! You talked! You know sweet, you should do that more often; you have an _exquisite_ voice." He winked roguishly, "But yes, your…armor is very well designed."

"Would you like a _closer_ look?" I asked, leaning in to him and smiling.

"If it's attached ta' the rest of you, then yes, I'd _love_ to check you out"

"Sorry, but it's _not_." I said bluntly, and ripped off my metal arm, slamming it down on the bar in front of him. He jumped backwards in shock; I laughed derisively, as I grabbed my arm back, and stalked from the tavern to meet up with the others.

Hymn was tethered to the porch outside the inn; I cut him loose, and mounted. I heard the saloon doors creak as the arrogant tom came swaggering out, watching me as I galloped away. The town's main streets were empty, which I found odd, but upon crossing into the dim side streets, I found where the townsfolk were at. I quickly spotted Zo; a head taller than the rest of the group, admiring liquor boxes that a seedy looking merchant was advertizing to her. She politely declined his offer, and turned to see me. Waving me over, we left to find Pearl and explore the rest of Ku Won Se.

(POV:4)

Out in the middle of a humble earth nation town, we were a pretty ridiculous looking group. There was Pearl, looking unusually clean compared to the rest of us, but dead beat tired and obviously a water bender, which was not a common sight so deep into the earth kingdom. Leona was an eye catcher; a pretty girl with a huge metal block for an arm stands out from any crowd, plus she was riding an exceptionally rare fox antelope. And then there was me, I was wearing my travel cloak now, to disguise my exotic clothing. But I was riding a giant rhinoceros beetle, so I was still pretty conspicuous. Pearl rode on Kuo with me.

If there had been any people in the town, I'm sure they would've been staring at us. But as it was, no one was visible. The streets were clear on this hot afternoon, although there were loud yells and the occasional tinkling of glass emanating from a building down the street, the "Blue Spirit" Bar. I made the executive decision to steer clear of the place; I had no desire to deal with drunken men right now. Although Leona was following an attractive male just inside the tavern who looked _very_ fire nation with her eyes, Pearl seemed to have the same thoughts as me, giving the bar a look of mild disgust.

It was nearly dinner time, and Queenbee had promised us a real feast, I was more hungry than excited. We found ourselves by the stables connected to the Locustbee inn. I jumped down, and Leona attempted to dismount off Hymn.

"AHHHG! NO!" she had leaned to the side to get off, but unfortunately, it happened to be the side on which she had a metal arm….. She fell.

In fact, she fell right into the arms of mister sexy fire nation whom she had just been eyeing in the bar.

"Careful now little lady, you wouldn't wanta' hurt yourself" He winked at us. My thoughts: "_Mr. Hotness, you are acting like a creep"_.

Leona looked at him. And he looked at Leona. And she looked back.

Leona turned towards us with an air that this happened every other day, and stretched her good arm up towards Hotness' face. Her fingers found his chin and she looked as if she was going to caress his face. But instead when her palm found his cheek the only intimate contact he received was a hearty slap to the cheek. She sprung lightly out of his arms and strode away from him. He was definitely fire nation; no one else could possibly have the dark koi orange eyes that originated from the island nation. Mr. Hotness also had a couple of red scars that looked like old fashioned torture marks. The fire nation used to torture people by holding a small flame to their face until the prisoner talked. The guy had one thin crimson scar coming down from his mouth, it looked like a fang, and a similar scar coming from his left eye down onto his cheek. From the way Leona was looking at him, I could tell that they had met before, and knowing her; it had probably not been a very comfortable encounter.

"So, are you ladies staying at this nice little inn? Yes?" He smiled mysteriously at us, "Good. I'm staying there as well."

"Please tell me you didn't just decide that" I said dryly. He laughed again, only this time there was an uncomfortable note.

"So, what wouldya' be doing in such a crummy little town?" He questioned us.

"We're searching for someone." Pearl informed him,

"Who? Maybe I can assist you" He continued to creepily question us in that low, melodic voice. I swear he must have had lessons in how to do a voice-smolder…

"The Avatar." Leona replied, she started back toward him, I vaguely wondered if she was going to throw something at him, or maybe hit him again, but she managed to control her temper. "Why do you want me so much? Leave me alone!"

"Sweet, what gives you th' impression that I want you so bad?" He smirked and leaned in close to her, "Is it because you want _me_...?" Leona seemed unfazed by this, and looked up at him.

"You!" She wacked him on the chest with her now detached metal arm, middle finger pointing up to his face rather crudely, "stop following me!" She leaned up and snarled right into manly-man's face. He pulled back in surprise, but recovered himself quickly, leaning in towards her again.

"The name's Ryu, sweet." I had a quick glance of a flame spurting to life in Leona's palm, and she was indeed about to give our creepy new friend another scar to add to his collection, when I caused a small rock to hit the center of his forehead.

"Hey" I warned, "Scram." But this was unnecessary.

"Honey bun, you betta' not be giving them girls any trouble now" The threatening voice of Queenbee rang out into the street. We all swiveled around, and I was shocked to find Queenbee leaning out of an upstairs window, brandishing her scepter at Hotness.

"Do I look like th' sort to cause trouble Miss Queen?" His gaze traveled to each of us in turn and his mouth quirked a smile, but then he raised his head to stare at Queenbee.

"Yes ya' do. now scram befo' I have to get out there and beat ya' myself'". What _would_ we do without her? Hotness smirked again, raised his hands, and backed away.

Not fast enough.

There was a hum of metal and something flew past me, striking the earth where Ryu had just been standing. It was Queenbee's golden scepter, imbedded in the ground, Ryu staring at it in momentary shock.

"Awright, awright, I'm goin' now" he turned, and strode back down the street to the pub.

"Girls, Be kind enough to pick up my scepter as yall come in the doorway. Hurry up now ladies, step inside, we gotta love-e-ly meal for yall" Queenbee called down to us, then she disappeared into the building again.

We re-entered the Locustbee Inn, and found Kollora waiting for us inside, completely unaware that we had just been visited by a mysterious stranger.


	5. Chapter 5: A Nation Divided

Chapter 5: A nation divided

(POV: 3)

Queenbee had been kind enough to have the girls prepare a special meal for us, for we had to head off the next day. After the seven meal course had been completed, we retired to Queenbee's sitting room.

"So what do you seek?" Queenbee asked us, draining her 3rd sake cup and smacking her lips.

"Well…for personal reasons, I'm looking for the Avatar." I said.

"Hmmm." Queenbee thought, stroking her chin with a long fingered hand. "Well the earth Kingdom wouldn't be the best place to start."

"What do you mean?" Zo said, sitting up a little in her chair. "The current avatar hails from the earth Kingdom."

"Ahh. I see, yall are unaware of the knowledge that the avatar is, in fact, from the fire nation."

"what?" Zo and I gasped in unison, looking from each other's shocked faces, to Queenbee's smug one.

"That's the problem with such peaceful times." Queenbee replied, pouring herself another glass of sake. "No one knows about the minor scandals. Well, here's the story. About 30 years ago, avatar Korra passed away, a young age, but still…and then the next reincarnation came in the form of a young earth nation girl, by the name of Song. When Song was 16, she was told that she was the next Avatar. Horrified by the fact, and afraid, Song dissapered, hoping to relieve herself of the duties she believed too hard for her, and handed them off to the promise of a more capable Avatar. She too feared that she would always live in the shadow of her predecessors; Aang and Korra, fo' their names will forever remain in history. Then, 16 years ago, a new Avatar was born to what we can only assume is the fire nation. But, due to the peaceful time we live in, or at least, what people _believe_ we live in, the avatar has not been thought about particularly strongly, nor is he or she sought by any."

"I never knew…" Zo said, staring at her hands, and balling them into fists.

"I don't blame you child." Queenbee said sympathetically. "But now, you four need to head to the Fire nation. But that will be difficult. Though we refer to it as the fire nation still, the harsh reality of the matter is that the world has become divided between east and west. The east, which we still consider 'free' to benders, is where we live now, and encompasses the two poles, half of the earth kingdom, and two of the air nomad temples. The east is where we have stuck to our traditional customs, architecture and technology. It is also a place where bending is accepted by all."

"Then what about the New West?" Pearl asked, fiddling with her canteen.

"The western hemisphere is nearly unrecognizable." Queenbee said ominously. "It is the place that the nonbenders have majorly set up civilization. Ba-Sing-Se is the capitol of the east, the New Republic, is the capitol of the west. In the New Republic, technological power has become the nonbenders bending. They drive things called 'automobiles, and motorcycles.' They have no need for livestock as they can have metal machines farm in their stead. They run off steam power, created by benders who have broken their 'laws.' It is a dangerous place for any bender to go, and it just so happens to be the place where the only Air bending nomad, Tenzin, still resides."

"So we have to go to the New republic to find the Avatar?" Zo said, standing up.

"No child, if I were you, that would be the _last_ place that I would look. Search around the part of the world that is still free, and pray that you find the Avatar. And get him to help. Help re-establish freedom in this new land of steam and metal!"

"We'll do all we can." Pearl said solemnly.

"No, we won't." I said. " Or at least I won't. This is not my war, not my conflict. I'll find the Avatar, and getting him to help is just a little extra step that I'm willing to put effort into. But I'm not going to be used to fight for some war, or to take sides. I'm sick of fighting…aren't you?"

"Aren't we all…?" Kollora said from the shadows.

"Interesting choice you make." Queenbee said, taking out a thin pipe and lighting it on one of the candles. She thought, and puffed smoke rings while we waited for her to continue. "I don't know what to make of it. Some, the air nomads, would call it a noble decision, as it is their belief of peace and detachment. Whereas the fire nation would consider it pure cowardice."

"Though I don't know what I want, I do know what I don't want," I said, "and its' getting involved in this conflict. If there's one rule I live by, it's this; fight your own battles. You're talking like we're the only people who can do anything to snap the tension!"

"Well, to end the conflict, we have to find the Avatar." Kollora said, shifting so that she was seated next to Queenbee.

"Exactly." Queenbee agreed, "And you four are the closest ones to finding him."

"Or her." Pearl added, Queenbee smiled and nodded.

"Or her. Either way, I believe that you have something that the Avatar will find very intriguing…"

"Huh?" Zo said, looking around at us, Pearl shrugged, but I narrowed my eyes at Queenbee.

"What exactly do you know?" I questioned her icily, my temper already very short after today's encounter with Ryu.

"Much more than you expect." Queenbee retorted, though her voice stayed composed. "For one thing, I know that you and Zo are double benders. For another, I know that you are still thinking about that Fire nation boy you encountered at my bar, I also am aware that you believe Kollora informed me of all this information." I frowned at her in surprise.

"Whoa." Zo said, clapping her hands in brief applause.

"Queenbee and I share similar abilities." Kollora piped up.

"Which are…?" Zo asked, sliding from her armchair to a floor cushion.

"Psychic abilities." Queenbee stated. "The Fifth element that every person possesses, but its strength varies from person to person. We happen to be not true benders, but mind benders of a sort."

"Wicked!" I said, impressed, "So Kollora, that's how you like, know all of our stuff?"

"Pretty much." She replied, smiling.

"But does that mean you can like….read our minds?" I said, allowing my voice to fade into an eerie whisper, making a funny face and waggling my fingers in an alien way. Kollora just smiled, "It bothers me that you aren't answering." I said, jokingly, but the others still appeared slightly worried.

"I'm going to train my abilities." Kollora said, "Queenbee wants to brief me, so we're going to have to stay here a little longer."

"How long?" Zo said, sounding irritated.

"Just a day." Kollora replied. She looked so excited; it was hard to be annoyed at her. I tried to imagine what I was feeling the first day I realized that I was a bender.

"Cool."

"Okay."

"That sounds fine."

Kollora's face flushed and she gave us the earth nation bow.

"Thank you guys! You're the best friends ever!"

"I know." I replied impishly, but winked.

"We're not friends." Zo said disdainfully. Kollora's face fell. "Just kidding!" she laughed, "that was mean! Sorry, I love you Kollora!" We all laughed late into the night; at stories that Queenbee told us, at my jokes, and at Zo's feeble attempt at humor. If I had known the next day's events, I would have wished I had turned in before the days changed that night.

I wish I could say that I woke up early, but knowing that Kollora would be in training all day, I lolled around in the warmth of my futon until lunchtime. Kollora and Queenbee had locked themselves inside the main chamber, and Queenbee has closed the inn for the day. I was in no hurry to discover what kind of things Queenbee might be teaching Kollora, and instead borrowed some money from the unlocked till, and set out on the town to find my own meal.

Zo and Pearl were nowhere to be found, so I ended up tracing the streets of Ku Won Se alone, waves of heat blazing off my metal arm. Upon entering the market, the only nourishment that struck my fancy was a cart selling native fruit. I bought a small bag of crabapples, and a Chinese finger trap from the owner's son. I said he could pet Hymn if he gave me his toy; he obliged merrily, and handed over the plaything with his snot encrusted fingers. I hate kids.

After roaming around town for an hour or so, I finally rested my weary body upon the base of a large stone statue of the founder of Ku Won Se. Today was shaping up to be a lazy day indeed. All newly aroused thoughts of practicing my fire bending were extinguished when the face of Ryu came across my vision.

"Whoa there!" he said, stopping suddenly and putting a hand on his sword hilt. Then he continued, falling into his slang accent, "Fancy seeing ya' here! But I thoughtcha' guys were leaving?"

"Why are you so interested in us?" I asked impatiently, looking him full in the face.

"I thought we went over this, I'm not. I'm so interested in _you_." He smiled and winked (I swear he must have a nervous tick), and leaned a tan arm against the statues legs.

"Thank you." I said, giving him a half smile. He grinned back, looking surprised, but pleased at his own good fortune.

"I know, it's an honor." He said simply.

"No. Thank you for blocking the sun. It was in my eyes. But if you could move just a little to the right…" I whacked his shin with the bag of crabapples and he scooted over a few inches. "Perfect."

He stood in silence for a few moments, but tried again with renewed vigor. " Ya know… you're really _different_. I like you." He said at last, bringing back the old voice smolder as he said it.

"Hmm…something we both have in common. " I said, picking at a hangnail.

"You like me too?" He asked; taken aback.

"No." I said bluntly. "We both like _me_."

He stared back at me in shock, his orange eyes filled with laughter that did not reach his twitching jaw.

"I'll won't be seeing you then. _Loverboy_." I said as I got up, stretched, and led Hymn back to the inn.

"Hey! Come back 'ere I just wanted to-" He followed me, and put a calloused hand on my forearm.

I threw a crabapple at him.

"Men are _pigs_." I said, "And what do skewered pigs commonly have in their mouths?" When I uttered the word 'skewered' I brandished my sword at his face, and threw another piece of fruit; it hit him square in the stomach and he staggered backwards. "_Apples_." I stalked away, nose in the air, but still sniggering to myself.

"Later, Sweet!" He called to me.

"Buhbye pork chop." I called back from across the street, saluting him as I rounded the corner to the Locustbee Inn.

Blocking my path, I found a large congregation of townspeople, milling around what appeared to be a nasty argument between two very opinionated groups of people. Pushing my way through the tangle of various onlookers, I recognized not one or two, but all of the voices now heightened in dispute.

"We will NOT hand over this child!" I heard Pearl say from a few feet away, I pushed through the remainder of the ranks of people, and saw a sight that made my heart drop into my stomach.

Zo, Pearl, and Bi Hai, facing Miira, Jinku, and several other brutal looking grunts. Zo was closest to Miira, and they were having the death stare contest of a century. Pearl was behind Zo, holding Bi Hai protectively behind her, one hand clutching his, the other on the cork of her canteen.

"I told you already _peasants_," Miira sneered at Pearl and Zo, "This child is under _our_ management."

"He was a captive! A prisoner! To be turned into a war pawn!" Pearl shouted back, holding Bi Hai still closer.

"I see. Well if that's how it's going to be…then fine. Perhaps _this_ will change your mind!" She snapped her fingers, and the grunts parted, to reveal two figures; Bi Hai's parents.

"MAMA! PAPA!" Bi Hai screamed, struggling against Pearl's restraint.

"Let him go." Miira spat to Pearl, "He wants to be with his family. Don't you Bi Hai?" Her voice changing into uncharacteristic tenderness, "If you come with us, you can be with your mommy and daddy, as long as you behave yourself." Almost imperceptibly, I caught Kannko shaking her head to the left, then right. Bi Hai saw, and swallowed, but said nothing.

"No." Bi Hai said bravely, "I'm not going with you. But you _will_ hand over Mama and Papa!"

"HA!" Jinku roared, stepping forward and pounding his fists together; several rocks split in two when he did so. "Sonny, you're going to take _us_ on? Why, you haven't even learned how to bend!"

"I'll fight you!" Bi Hai shouted, raising his fists, and stepping towards Jinku.

"NO!" Both Pearl and Miira shouted, and they looked at one another, Miira continued, "The boy has to choose to come with us. Any other way is against what we are fighting for; freedom. Freedom of choice. _However_, with a little bit of incentive…" From her water pouch she drew out two short tendrils, and turned them to ice daggers, one in each fist. She marched up behind Bi Hai's parents, and held them close to their jugulars.

"No! Please stop this! He's just a boy! Can't you find adults to help you?" Pearl shouted, frantically tucking her hair behind her ear as she clutched a weeping Bi Hai.

"Unfortunately, peasants, we have a certain interest in him. Something that you _non benders_ would fear more than us if you found out." Miira said.

"No, we don't really care." Zo said, and Miira looked infuriated.

"I wouldn't expect _you_ to know." The blades dug a little into the parents necks, Bi Hai whimpered.

"Bi Hai!" His mother gasped through her blocked trachea, "Leave us!"

"Shut up!" Jinku roared, and slammed his fist into the side of her face. The onlookers screamed, Zo twitched to her blade, Pearl popped open the top of her canteen, and my hands became white hot; but it was a newcomer who made the first move.

A huge burst of flame came careening from the crowd, and right at Jinku, he dropped Kannko, who lay on the dirt, spluttering, but still breathing. Jinku raised his troll like arms and a rock wall shot in front of him, saving him from being scorched. The newcomer spoke,

"Ladies! Ladies! No need to fight! There's enough of me to go 'round!" It was Ryu, strutting through the dumbstruck crowd of people. "And I'm so sorry Gorrillagator," Ryu said, addressing Jinku, "But I can't stand to see someone hitta lady. For that, I'll have to teach you a lesson. _In pain._"

At that moment, several things happened at once. Jinku roared and shot boulders at Ryu, Miira slashed Bi Hai's father's neck, Pearl covered a screaming Bi Hai's eyes as he watched his father's corpse fall, Zo jumped right into the air, 20 feet above, and I, ran into the center of the throng, rage and fire dancing on my face.

People scattered in all directions, running into the safety and seclusion of their houses to watch the fight from above. Though they would probably have trouble spotting Zo; who was still airborne. Jinku lumbered forward, and raised his right fist in Pearl's direction. She screamed as I shot a wave of fire from the same arm, destructing the wall, and causing Jinku to turn towards me.

"FIRE BENDER!" He bellowed, and aimed his next attack where I was standing, but before I could retaliate, Ryu jumped in front of me, and blasted the rock wall into oblivion.

"Are you okay sweet?" He asked, his back still turned to me as he blocked my sprawled form from Jinku's earth attacks. I rolled on my back and flipped to my feet; I stood in battle position besides Ryu, but slid my lions mask over my face. It was time to fight.

Suddenly, Zo came streaking from the sky on her glider, moments before she collided into Jinku, she turned it back to a staff, and dealt him a heavy blow to the shoulder. He howled in agony, turning to fight his newest combatant.

Ryu and I turned simultaneously on the grunts, who were trying to sneak from battle. Seven in total they surrounded us, and instinctively, I went back to back with Ryu. I changed my metal arm so that four long metal claws extended from the knuckles, and raised it, preparing to attack. I felt Ryu's back muscles tense just before two Grunts broke free of the circle and charged us.

The Grunt, who I identified as the leader, struck out with his left fist, fire shooting towards my chest; quickly I grabbed his arm and locked it between my metal arm and chest. He could no longer move it, and I punched him in the jaw with my right fist, heating my knuckles up prior to striking. Four large pinkish welts blossomed across his lower cheek, and he spat in my face. I blew a tongue of flame from my mouth, so that his saliva evaporated before it hit the clay of my mask. He tried a low kick, I jumped over his legs, but the resultant fire from his feet set a cart a few meters away alight. If I didn't put it out the rickety buildings would all be encased in the blaze. His left arm was still locked between my artificial one and torso, I made the metal of it white hot; he screamed in pain as his hand became blistered and scorched.

"Listen to me." I snarled as I heard Ryu taking out his next victim, "if I let you live, you're not going to fight for these people any more. Understand!" he barely nodded, his eyes streaming with tears; voice shriveled by flame. "Good." I dropped him, and he dragged himself to the shelter of a porch.

I sensed another behind me, and was not surprised to see a woman sprinting towards my back.

"You BITCH!" She shrieked, shooting a fire ball at my head, "THAT WAS MY BROTHER!"

"Oh boohoo, cry me a volcano, fire bender." I sneered, as I easily disintegrated the fireball with my fist. The impact of the flames sent my mane billowing behind my person. I charged, she ducked low, trying to shoot fire and scorch my legs, but I had predicted this, a similar fire bending style to her brother's, where they both aim to cripple their opponents so they cannot flee battle. Fire bending is a close combat art. When her back was at the lowest point, nearly a right angle, I jumped, used her back as a spring board, and flipped, pushing her back with my right arm. She turned, still stooped over and I landed on the ground, right in the middle of a giant animal trough. I was soaked, but no matter for me, I drew up my arms gracefully, and the water rose slowly. The remaining grunts and Ryu turned and gawked, as I raised the water, and changed it into a great sphere, collecting water from the already humid day to expand its already gargantuan size. Everyone watched as the orb floated in front of the sun, and then…I sliced my hands through the air and the water scattered. Each grunt was drenched and I twisted my wrists counterclockwise; the water froze and the grunts fell like ripe apples to the ground. Ryu stood there, stunned, but shook his head, and ran over to me.

"I see why you didn't want to talk to me now…you're the _Avatar_!"

"No, sorry bucko. But I ain't anything particularly special."

"Butchu' bent fire, then water!"

Before I could deny any such occurrence a fleet of law enforcement turned onto the street. They arrested the grunts that Ryu and I (but mostly me) had defeated, and Jinku and Miira who I assumed had been taken on by Pearl and Zo. Miira was buried in the ground up to her head, and it took a lot of coaxing to make Zo set her free. Jinku had been frozen solid in a chunk of ice, and the police decided to chip him free _after_ they had taken him to prison.

I watched triumphantly as the sun began to set, the sky turning a remarkable shade of koi orange. I felt someone nudge me, and again, I turned to see Ryu, his skin having a golden hue from the onslaught of colors from the setting sun.

"Look. I know what I saw." He began, and put a finger to my lips as I began to retort. "Hear me out." I tried to bite him, he quickly with drew his hand, but did not laugh or smile. "You can bend multiple elements; I know that you're the Avatar. That's why you're in the earth kingdom isn't it? To master earth bending."

Thinking fast I decided to play along. "So what if I am?" I said, crossing my arms. I saw Zo approach where we were standing, but I waved her off.

"Well…you have a duty to yer people."

"Which is _what_, exactly?"

"To fight! To fight for your people and help us settle this conflict! That's the Avatars duty, to defend all for the greater good of the people!"

The last beams of sun rippled through the sky, before vanishing, and with them, my last bit of patience faded away as well. Only anger filled my head and veins. It was like I had always been told, 'fight for others.' No. I wouldn't. But I'd fight for myself. And right now, I could see an enemy, a threat to my survival, standing stupidly right in front of me.

"Listen." I said, folding my hands behind my back but letting an ice dagger form between my fingers. "I fight my own battles, and take down people who are a threat to me. Those guys were a threat to me, and now…so are _you_!" his eyes widened in shock as I slashed out, tearing his shirt and capping my ice dagger with pearl sized droplets of crimson. He backed away, but drew his sword.

"I don't want to fight you." He said seriously, but continued to back up.

"Then don't." I retorted, "_Defend_ yourself."

I slashed at him again, and he drew his blade, shattering my ice dagger. As droplets fell, I waved my hand, and they soared like bullets towards his face. He whacked most out of the air with his blade, and blocked several more, but one cut his cheek before whizzing to the ground, and another burrowed into his shoulder, and the last to his side. His eyes narrowed, and glowed with fire; the ice meted and dribbled down, mixing with blood and soaking onto his clothes.

"Fire against water." He said. "…I won't bend, if you don't. Let us truly see if you have the skill to take _me_ down."

I smirked. "Fine."

"But. If _I_ win. You have to give me a _kiss_." He simpered, and gestured to his lips.

"Fine again." I said, and then added, "But if _I_ win, then you have to give a kiss to _Queenbee_."

"Straight."

He raised his sword. I raised my fists. The first stars began to twinkle into life as we both charged into battle, this time, as foes.

He swiped out his sword high, trying to enhance his blow with the aid of gravity, so I sidestepped out of the way, trying to let him become his own downfall. Without warning, he slashed to the right, and would have caught my side if I didn't parry his blow with my left arm. The clang caused sparks to fly, and my jaw to set; he was in the game now. But if I knew anything about Ryu, he wasn't going to play nice. So I was also going to play dirty.

I lunged, but he blocked, then he tried to punch my right arm, going for my weak spot, I blocked and parried and attacked, but neither of us could land a blow. Then, I saw an opening in his form, and struck. My metal arm made contact with his stomach (which was so hard it too might have been forged) and he grimaced, but not from pain, but as I found out: concentration. Using the proximity he had to me, he pulled me to him using my arm. Desperately I tried to struggle free, trying the shake off his vice like grip. But the only thing that I managed to shake off was the very arm I was trying to release. In my momentary shock, Ryu grabbed me by the waist, and held me to him, so that we were much too close. He dropped my disembodied arm besides us, and breathed into my ear softly,

"Well…looks like I won this round Sweet, and if you don't mind, I'd liketa' collect my reward." He leaned in, trying to tilt my head to a better angle; he got closer until the only thing I saw were his closed eyes…

Then, I flipped him over my back and he landed with an 'OOMPH' onto the dust twilight street. I straddled him and waited until he opened his eyes. When he finally did, the first thing he saw was my right hand streaking to meet his cheek.

Again and again I slapped him, and again and again he took it, not moving, complaining or saying a word. Finally I stopped, and lowered my hands.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" I whispered, eyes becoming more sincere.

He smiled, but it quickly turned to a grimace of pain. "To show you that I don't want to hurt you. That I'm not your enemy."

I stared at him, and was surprised to find tears running down my face, I hated that I was always so quick to tear up.

"I guess…you got the best of me." I said, he smiled, then turned his head to the side and closed his eyes. Then, before I knew what I was doing, or before I had really considered the consequences…I kissed him. His eyes shot open and he looked up at me in shock.

"Why-Why'd ya kiss me?" He said in astonishment, though the tiniest smile curled his lips.

"It's like I said." I replied, getting up and dusting off my hands, he sat up as soon as he was relieved of my weight "You got the best of me. You won. And I always keep my promises."

"Wow!" He whistled, and flopped back on the ground, grinning from ear to ear. "I'll knew you had a thing for me Sweet!"

"My name is Leona." I corrected him without turning around, and climbed the stairs to the Locustbee inn, where my friends were waiting for me to return.

"Leona…that such a pretty name! A pretty name for a prettier lady!" I heard him call from the street. "Ya know, we should go out some time—"But then his final words were silenced by Zo slamming the door, and whatever he said next, was only heard by the spirit of the moon.


	6. Chapter 6: Club Avatar

Chapter 6: Club Avatar

(POV:3)

Chapter 3: Club Avatar

"It is sooo HOT!" Zo whined, leaning off the side of Kuo, "Leona- no you won't do it for me, PEARL! Water pleaseee!"

"Shouldn't you be used to the heat, _sand bender_?" I said, wiping my brow and fanning Hymn's side.

"Well Kuo happens to be a _black_ beetle. And now, he doesn't have a saddle."

"And why is that?" Kollora chirped from behind us, she had a bout of energy, and had temporarily decided to walk along behind us.

"Well, while we were fighting, your _boyfriend" _she directed at Leona, "burned my cloak!"

"Boyfriend?" Kollora asked, a little giddy.

"Not my _boyfriend_." I said, "Just another Leona admirer. You know; the usual paparazzi." Zo stuck out her tongue. We continued for a while in silence, the only noise coming from the Pearl, who was humming to herself.

(POV:4)

I hate riding Kuo in such burning conditions, he's a pure black beetle and the sizzling rays of sunlight attract to him.

The giant rhinoceros beetles have adapted over many generations so that the absorbed heat doesn't affect them, they survive even the most brutally hot temperatures, but it very painful to ride them in the full sun. That is why the sand benders designed special saddles that insulated against the heat and kept us safe, making it much more comfortable to ride the beetles.

Unfortunately, I bartered away Kuo's saddle for and attractive jade bangle, shaped like a snake, which curled around my upper arm, and a new highly overpriced traveling cloak, because Ryu burned the edges of my last one. This wouldn't have been such a problem except it kept sweeping up against my leg and causing an irritating itch.

_Next time I see that bastard, _I thought, _I'm going to make him pay for my cloak that was a custom made sand bender relic!_

The jade bangle, however, made a useful tool. I quickly discovered that I could bend it into nearly any shape, and I was very proud of this purchase.

Never the less, it is very unpleasant to ride a giant beetle bareback in 100 degree plus heat. It was a very sunny day; we were heading to the next town on our route, and were following a river, just to be safe.

I mused aloud

"Queenbee said the new avatar was fire nation. But, in that case, where do you think he lives, and where was he born? The fire nation is allegedly over run with anti-benders."

"There is a large swath of territory that was previously unclaimed, but I believe fire benders have taken over some of it. That's the only real fire bender land now. The rest of the benders have integrated into other cities around the bending friendly world." Kollora, the only member of our group who had actually learned any geography, replied.

"But the avatar could have been born to any fire benders" said Pearl, "We can't base our search there."

"I thought that maybe the avatar would go to the place where his

["Or Her!" Pearl reminded]

cultural history is preserved, the new fire nation." I conjectured, "It would be the closest he

["Or She!"]

could get to his

["Or Her!"]

ancestral home."

"I don't think he would just settle down" Leona interjected, "No-one besides Zo really even cares about 'ancestral homes' anymore"

"Hey!"

"It's true, don't pretend." Leona teased.

Our discussion went in circles as we tried to guess where the avatar might be, but none of us could think of somewhere that made sense. In the end it was decided that the only reason that no-one knew who the avatar was, or where he was, was that he could bend memories. How else could he evade us this long?

We arrived in Ka-Lai Village late that night, the sun was already down and the pale blue sky in the west had faded to navy. We made camp around its borders, and proceeded to enter the next day.

(POV:3)

"And why are we here again?" I blurted out, scanning the humble town that stretched along my vision.

"Because Queenbee told me this would be the best place to start!" Kollora reminded me for the tenth time.

"And why would that be?" I protested. (Now for the 11th)

"I told you, she never said!"

"Pretty vague woman (man?) Don'tcha think?"

"Well…a bit. But I trust her. So let's have a look around shall we?"

Zo and Pearl hopped off Kuo, and he flew off to go forage for food. Hymn was small enough to bring into living conditions, so I remained mounted upon his back. Then I noticed Kollora who looked tired from walking a great part of the distance here, with a stroke of compassion, I hopped off Hymn and let her ride on his back instead. She smiled at me gratefully, and we headed into the town.

Six hours later and the only rewarding building we had stopped at were the restrooms. Zo, Pearl, and I had already given up, and were secretly discussing further plans while Kollora dragged us around the last streets of the town. She suddenly stopped, and Zo ran into her.

"Whoa, why'd you stop Kollora?" She asked, a little annoyed, for some reason, Zo had always very little patience with Kollora. Possibly, it was because she was very skeptical in the whole psychic-chick business.

"Look!" Kollora said excitedly, and pointed to a small building directly in front of us. The sign hanging from the overhang read: 'Club Avatar'

"What do you suppose this place is?" Pearl wondered aloud, checking the map she had gotten from the local store where we had bought lunch. "Wait! It says here on the map! "Club Avatar: The most knowledgeable information reservoir on all the past avatars of the last 100 life reincarnations. Knowledge is only shared amongst members, and only exclusive parties can be part of the club."

"An 'Avatar information reservoir?'" Kollora asked confusedly.

"Basically like specified library." Zo said, but Kollora continued to frown, "A museum."

"Oh!" Kollora chirped, "Hey guys do you think-"

"Yeah." I interrupted. "That this is the place Queenbee wanted us to visit. I'll bet my good arm on it!"

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Pearl said, and she led us into the dingy house.


End file.
